Chapter 20: Family Ambitions and Secrets

Xu Chen smiled.

“You’d better hurry—I’m almost done with high school.”

Xu Zhiquan said,

“Alright, once you get to university, I’ll buy you a car straight away!”

Xu Chen teased,

“Old Xu, you’re getting ahead of yourself. We haven’t made the big money yet.”

Xu Zhiquan laughed heartily a few times:

“Son, you don’t know the half of it.

This week, I’ve been working on the Seedling Company deal…

Let me put it this way: next month, the Southern part of the city’s highway seedling project is up for bid, and I’ve got a good lead on it.

I’m confident we can land it!

It’s not a huge deal, but like you said, once we secure this one, the rest will follow.”

Xu Chen drew in a sharp breath.

He hadn’t expected Old Xu to be so efficient.

In just a week, he’d pushed things this far?!

“Dad, you’re incredible!”

“No, it’s you who’s got it right. You set the strategy, and I handle the execution!”

Xu Zhiquan paused, clearly holding back more to say.

“What’s up?” Xu Chen asked.

“There’s something else—I need my son to step in and help out.”

“What is it?”

“Well… it might involve playing up your charm a bit.”

Xu Chen: “??!”

Xu Zhiquan chuckled awkwardly and explained:

“For this Seedling Company thing, a leader helped pull some strings.

The leader has a daughter in her final year of high school, but her grades aren’t great.

They heard my son goes to First High School and has top grades, so they want you to tutor their girl.”

Xu Chen looked utterly speechless: “This is basically selling me off!”

Xu Zhiquan laughed and said:

“Don’t stress too much—it’s just helping her with some problems, like making a new friend.

I was joking about the charm part.”

Xu Chen still looked speechless and considered refusing.

But thinking about how it tied into the family business, he held his tongue.

It was just tutoring—might as well go through the motions…

As they talked, Xu Zhiquan started the car and drove out of the Parking Lot.

He remembered something else and added:

“I’m thinking of shutting down our sand casting factory after finishing the current batch.

Tomorrow morning, Eldest Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and Paternal Aunt’s family will come over.

I’ll explain about closing the factory and starting the seedling nursery, and let them decide for themselves.”

Xu Chen thought for a moment and specifically reminded:

“Dad, don’t make the seedling business sound too good, especially about possibly winning the bid.”

Xu Zhiquan smiled:

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.

Like you said, the goal is to clear out those who’ve been leeching off us.

But they’re family, so I can’t just kick them out—better to let them choose.”

…

Father and son grabbed a simple meal in the city, then drove back to the town.

Their house was a two-story building they’d built themselves.

Including the backyard, it had over 300 square meters—plenty of space.

Back when they built it, it was quite impressive in the village.

But these days, with more villagers putting up modern houses, theirs didn’t stand out as much.

Back home, Xu Chen gazed at their spacious rural retreat and felt a wave of emotion.

In his past life, after his father went bankrupt, they sold this house to pay debts.

Xu Chen went off to university, and his father headed south for work, never returning.

Xu Chen still remembered the desolation in his father’s eyes when he left that home for good.

Now, reborn, his father’s path had changed, and this house full of Xu Chen’s childhood memories would stay put.

Inside, Xu Chen spotted several stacks of cash on his father’s desk—at least tens of thousands.

“Dad, leaving all that cash out like this—you’re not worried about thieves?”

Xu Zhiquan chuckled and quickly stashed the stacks in the safe.

“I was in a rush to pick you up and forgot to put it away.

Tomorrow, when I talk to Eldest Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and Paternal Aunt’s family, things might get messy since they hold shares in our factory.

To ease them out, I need to offer some compensation.

Plus, throwing in a bit of money will make those just looking for handouts more eager to bow out.”

Xu Chen nodded; his father’s plan was solid and thorough.

This money was worth spending.

It would save a lot of hassle.

Xu Chen walked over to the desk and saw a stack of printed bid materials.

“What’s this?”

Xu Zhiquan glanced at it and said:

“That’s for the State-run Bright Machinery Factory bid. We’re pulling out, so it’s useless now.”

Xu Chen seemed to think of something and said:

“Give it to me; I’ll study it.”

Xu Zhiquan: “Take it—since we’re not running the factory anymore, I don’t need it.”

Xu Chen grabbed the bid documents and headed upstairs.

Back in his room on the second floor, Xu Chen looked around, flooded with youthful memories.

The walls had posters of Kobe and Bruce Lee.

In the drawer were neatly stacked tapes:

Dou Wei’s Black Dream, Jay Chou’s Seven Mile Fragrance, Xu Wei’s Once Upon a Time, and Park Shu’s Born Like Summer Flowers…

All reminders of his teenage years.

In his past life, after moving, all these old items were lost.

Now, twenty years later, seeing them again, Xu Chen felt deeply moved.

…

Xu Chen was reading alone when a bright light flashed across the window.

A car pulled up in front of the house.

Xu Chen went to the window and looked down—it was a black Xiali.

He checked the license plate and confirmed it was Third Uncle’s.

What was Third Uncle doing here so late at night?

Xu Chen thought about it and couldn’t help but smirk.

With Xu Zhiquan withdrawing from the State-run Bright Machinery Factory bid, Third Uncle must have been watching closely.

Last week, Xu Chen had leaked the news about his father’s lost orders through Third Uncle’s son, Xu Xiaoyang.

Third Uncle never showed up without a reason—he’d taken the bait.

This visit—whether to boast or ask for something—was unclear.

Xu Chen thought it over and went downstairs.

In the living room, he saw Third Uncle had already come in, carrying a Fruit basket.

“Big brother, it’s been ages—I came to check on you.”

Xu Zhiquan said flatly,

“Third brother, you’re a rare visitor!”

Old Xu showed no warmth.

After all, when they divided the family assets, the brothers had a nasty fallout, and Third Uncle had shamelessly taken a lot.

Later, Third Uncle’s factory undercut Xu Zhiquan with dirty tricks to steal business…

Even with Xu Zhiquan’s forgiving nature, he had little trust or affection left for Third Uncle.

Third Uncle saw Xu Chen and said with a smile:

“Little Chen, you’ve grown so tall!”

Xu Chen put on a polite smile but didn’t respond.

Xu Zhiquan said,

“Third brother, let’s skip the small talk—what’s on your mind?”

Third Uncle set the Fruit basket on the table, smiled, and said:

“Straight to it then—I’m here to ask for a favor.”